AlleyBucks Opposition To XXX
[Note: Email sent to ICANN from our corporate domain has not gone through for reasons unknown to us. We are using hotmail in an attempt to get our letter included before the submission period expires. We can be contacted at webmaster((()))alleybucks.com] AlleyBucks.com, a recognized member of the gay adult entertainment community, would like to thank ICANN for the opportunity to voice our company's opposition to the proposed .XXX TLD. As you are aware, the proposed .XXX extension has drawn more criticism, from more diverse segments of society around the world, than any other proposed extension since the inception of the internet. The fact that there is such diverse opposition should alone be reason enough to kill the proposed TLD once and for all. The creation of a TLD without consensus will steer ICANN down a dangerous road, not only for its own existence, but for the independence of future governance of the internet as well. Allow me to repeat concerns that have been voiced from the various communities that have objected to this extension specifically: The Adult Industry: The Adult Entertainment Industry on whole, opposes the creation of the .XXX extension. It serves no purpose other than to create a gutter for what is recognized as protected speech in a multitude of countries around the world. It would impose a 3rd party organization to "regulate" that free speech, and would undermine thousands of adult businesses that have been establishing themselves on the other namespaces for many years. The marketing tactic has been made clear, adult sites that exist on .XXX would be "responsible companies", implying those that exist outside of that TLD are "irresponsible". The onslaught of governmental regulation, and strict policies from the various billing companies, are real possibilities that hold a significant potential of mandating the use of the .XXX namespace for companies existing in many countries, including the United States. Parents: Parents want ways to protect their children from materials that are not suitable for them online. .XXX obviously can not achieve this end. By all accounts, including those of the sponsoring company, adult material should not be exclusively located on .XXX, and the sponsoring company has stated publicly that they would fight any government regulations that would seek to do so. Still, even if the .XXX namespace were mandated in many countries, as the adult industry fears, unless every country in the world followed suit, the existing namespaces would continue to be home to pornographic material. Virtually all knowledgeable advocates for the protection of children have backed a .KIDS namespace, that would truly provide an appropriate environment for children to surf. Such a namespace would not only be able to preclude the inclusion of pornographic material, but also other materials that may not be appropriate for children, such as violence. Further, developments in technology, such as the recently released Windows Vista Operating System, will continue to provide new and innovative tools to parents that will allow them to effectively regulate their children's use of all internet namespaces. Religious Institutions: Religious groups have been outspoken against the proposed .XXX namespace, as it provides direct support and promotion of pornography. They argue, why should pornography be the first and only form of speech to be given a specific namespace for its dissemination? In fact, many others who are secular question the same. Is ICANN going to then start providing a TLD for all of the myriad categories of speech that exist? To what purpose? Is the future an internet cluttered with the likes of *.knitting, *.fishing, and *.woodcarving? Governments: Opposition to the TLD is not limited only to individuals and private enterprise. Many governing bodies from around the world have given their opposition to the creation of a .XXX TLD, each for their own specific reasons as have been submitted to ICANN for consideration. In conclusion, ICANN has managed to find itself in a rare position, having stumbled upon something that the adult industry, religious organizations, and governments from around the world all agree on; XXX is a bad idea. We all ask that this proposal be denied. Yours In CyberSpace, John Paul AlleyBucks.com _________________________________________________________________ Turn searches into helpful donations. Make your search count. http://click4thecause.live.com/search/charity/default.aspx?source=hmemtagline_donation&FORM=WLMTAG |